Naval Technology lists the top five terms tweeted in naval tech in November 2019, based on data from GlobalData’s Influencer Platform.

The top tweeted terms are the trending industry discussions happening on Twitter by key individuals (influencers) as tracked by the platform.

1. Submarine – 663 mentions

The capture of highly specialised submarines, known as narco submarines, and the increase in innovation, experimentation, and development in the submarine industry was widely discussed in November 2019. An article shared by Tyler Rogoway, an aviation and military expert, details the seizure of a narco submarine off the coast of Galicia, Spain. It was considered as the first ever capture of a smuggling vessel in Europe.

Another article shared by H I Sutton, a submarine and naval special warfare expert, revealed that the submarine industry in the Asia Pacific region is showing higher levels of innovation. Otherwise regarded as inferior in submarine manufacturing, China is gradually catching up to the Western countries. The country unveiled a new submarine in Shanghai last year and is reportedly working on a new generation of submarines known as the Type-095 Tang class.

2. Frigate – 208 mentions

New upgrades to frigates were one of the popular topics discussed in November. An article shared by Naval Analyses, a blog maintained by freelance naval analyst Dimitris Mitch, details the implementation of Mild-Life Upgrade (MLU) programmes on the MEKO 200 frigates across the world. The MEKO 200 was designed by the German shipbuilding company, Blohm+Voss, to build a new class of warships.

Another article shared by Naval News, a naval news website, highlights Lockheed Martin‘s Solid State Radar (LM SSR) technology being designated as AN/SPY-7(V)1 by the US government. The technology will be integrated with the Aegis Combat System to provide better surveillance and protection for future class of ships. The Japanese Ministry of Defense contracted Lockheed Martin for two Aegis Ashore installations last year. Additionally, the Royal Canadian Navy will use variants of this technology for its Canadian Surface Combatant programme, while the Spanish Navy will use the same for its F-110 frigate programme.

3. Maritime security – 190 mentions

Navy partnerships and the need to address issues and strengthen maritime security were discussed during the month. An article shared by the US Navy highlighted that the US and Bangladesh navies recently conducted an annual exercise called the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Bangladesh 2019 to discuss maritime issues and strengthen co-operation in the Indo-Pacific region. The two naval forces engaged in various exercises such as aviation, diving, hydrography, engineering, maritime law, and awareness.

Another article shared by the US Central Command detailed Albania’s inclusion in the International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC). Albania is the seventh nation after the UK, US, Australia, UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain to join this international effort. The construct ensures free navigation in order to promote trade and commerce in the watercourses of the Middle East.

4. Missile – 113 mentions

Missile launches and highly classified missions in progress for naval forces were some of the popularly discussed topics in the month. An article shared by NavyLookout, an online campaign that seeks to promote the Royal Navy, details the firing of the Martlet Lightweight Multi-role Missile (LMM) from its DS30M Mark II cannon aboard the Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy. The laser missile is designed to identify targets such as suicide crafts, speed boats, jet skis, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) within a 5km radius, but can go as far as 8km.

Another article shared by the US Naval Forces Europe-Africa/US 6th Fleet highlighted that the US Navy is on a highly classified mission with its USS Florida fleet, a nuclear-powered missile submarine. The naval vessel had eight torpedoes onboard with one ready-to-fire and approximately 100 Tomahawks missiles ready for launch.

5. Submarine Warfare Systems – 68 mentions

Naval exercises to protect maritime interests and shipping made submarine warfare systems a popular discussion in November. An article shared by Spokesperson Navy, a website maintained by the Indian Navy, detailed the naval exercises that took place between India and Indonesia in the Bay of Bengal, as part of the bilateral maritime exercise called ‘Samudra Shakti’ involving the INS Kiltan P28 class anti-submarine warfare (ASW) corvette.

Another article shared by the NavyLookout, the online campaign that promotes the British Navy, detailed HMS Northumberland’s training with the US Navy taskforce on the east coast of the US. The Type 23 frigate was trained with the American amphibious task force for the first time. The Northumberland frigate comes with cutting-edge missile technologies such as the Sea Ceptor and has worked with variable depth sonars (VDS) to tackle anomalies and threats.

https://twitter.com/NavyLookout/statuses/1192822136353759232